PRI 2010: Holley Upgrades their HP-Series Carbs

To say that Holley carburetors are an industry standard is like saying the Yankees have managed to put together a few good seasons, or that the Beatles did OK selling records. It’s hard to overstate just how much of an impact the 4150 has had on the aftermarket over the years – whole other companies have sprung up and flourished around Holley’s design. So what do you do to stay ahead of the standard when you are the ones setting it?

Holley has done just that with new features that are making their way into the HP line of race carbs (and eventually to the street versions as well). No design is perfect, and the company has taken a hard look at how people use their carbs in the real world, making them better based on the untold years of collective experience their customers have accumulated.

Take for instance the new black finish you see here. You could be excused for thinking it might be a powder coat – great for looks, but it changes the dimensions of parts, and while durable, it’s not necessarily up to the challenge of exposure to the strange chemicals that are making their way into pump gas these days (not to mention race fuel additives). It’s actually a proprietary anodized finish, and we’re told it’s impervious even to brake cleaner. It might seem like a small thing, but it’s a perfect example of how Holley has been paying attention to how the battle is going down in the trenches.

Another example is their new baseplate design, which has slotted mounting ears to accommodate both 4150 and Dominator-style intake manifold flanges. Holley set the standard for where you put your carb studs, so it’s only appropriate that they’re going to make it easy to use an HP carb with either layout.

The new HP fuel bowl design is yet another case of taking “good enough” and making it outstanding. New castings have expanded the internal capacity by 18 percent, while an internal baffle has been added to reduce fuel aeration, and the inlet ports have been redesigned so that you can use a smaller wrench, and thus get a bigger swing, making R&R quicker and easier.